Canada is a country of vast coastlines and diverse weather. The country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Additionally, the eastern half of Canada is divided by Hudson's Bay. Frozen more than half of the year, Hudson's Bay greatly influences eastern Canada's climate, facilitating the southward movement of cold arctic air.

The Gulf Stream brings warmer air to the southeast of Canada, but its effects are limited. The icy Labrador Current sends temperatures in the northeast of the country plummeting. The summer months warm the prairie provinces in the west. Cities along the Pacific coast such as Halifax and Vancouver have mild climates similar to Boston or Seattle.

Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada consists of the following provinces: Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. This region is where the bulk of the Canadian population lives, with cities that include Quebec, Ottawa, and Toronto. The maritime provinces are damp, cold, and cloudy. Occasionally, hurricanes that have travelled up the coast of the United States bring heavy rains and winds to the maritime regions.

The Prairie Provinces
Canada's prairie provinces include Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. This region is characterized by fertile lands that experience long, warm summer days ideal for growing grain. Summers also are characterized by thunderstorms and enough rainfall to support agriculture. Winter in the prairie provinces brings blizzards, cold winds from the Arctic in the form of norterlies and somewhat warmer westerlies from the Rockies.

British Columbia
British Columbia's climate is similar to Oregon and Washington. This province has two distinct climate zones, the wet milder coastal region and the drier inland region. The effects of El Niño and La Niña make their way to British Columbia and can produce abnormal dryness or precipitation).

Northern Canada
The northern regions of Canada experience inhospitably cold weather during the winter months, with average temperatures in the range of -25C to -35C. In the summer, the days are long and daily highs are often above 16C. Summertime fog and clouds are a common feature in the coastal areas along the Arctic Ocean.

Use your Canada cellular phone rental to keep yourself informed of weather changes.

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